Browsed byMonth: February 2018

We return to our series about up-and-coming anime creators with perhaps the character animator who is generating the most excitement within the industry itself: the mysterious soty, whose work you might have started to enjoy on Toei anime under the name Keisuke Mori, but also on all-star congregations of talent using his pen names on other productions. Let’s observe not only his extraordinary skill, but also the unique animation culture he inherited.

Perhaps the most important episode of Violet Evergarden on a narrative sense since the premiere, as well as an interesting change in tone that also brings back the grandeur of the first episode. And beyond that, another chance to examine the production of the series and details some fans have asked us about, like which tools were used to create this series.

It’s time for more After the Rain coverage, as studio WIT’s mellow yet often poignant character piece keeps being one of this season’s highlights. The production as a whole is worth examining, but it’s the vision of the directors and the sweet surprises in that field that we’ll focus on this time.

Once again a Kyoto Animation veteran showed up to handle a very pleasant chapter in the adventures of Violet Evergarden. This is the right moment to inspect not just how he brilliantly constructs anime, but also how the studio as a whole approaches the production process – things are changing!

Pop Team Epic has caught many people’s attention with its unique brand of irreverent, shamelessly referential humor and often surreal gags, crafted in frankly inventive ways. A production this bizarre obviously couldn’t come to be in normal fashion, so we decided to share the translation of an interview with its eccentric producer Kotaro Sudo. Despite being as tongue in cheek as you’d expect from anything involving this series, he talks at length about the business decisions and creative process that…

Right before its second anniversary and to celebrate its special screening on Valentine’s Day, we bring you the translation of a lengthy conversation between the main figures behind the Doukyuusei anime film. Their insight on everything we could see on the screen, as well as the struggles happening behind the scenes, should be a delightful treat for all fans. And if you haven’t seen the movie yet, this is another excuse to get around to it! Shouko Nakamura – Director Akemi Hayashi –…

Now that the introduction is done and the titular character has wrapped up her training, Kyoto Animation’s aces have come to deliver the strongest episodes of Violet Evergarden to date. We’ll look at the wonderful episodic stories storyboarded by Yasuhiro Takemoto and Naoko Yamada, explain how a new influx of young creators came into play, and try to make sense of this spectacular yet confusing production.

Much has been speculated about the effect of new mainstream platforms storming this industry, with Netflix in particular being sold as a potential game-changer for anime productions. And yet, despite some obvious changes when it comes to content restrictions, the people who make anime have unequivocally explained that they appreciate no improvement in their poor situation. Let’s try to pay attention to them for once.

The third episode of DARLING in the FRANXX is, and I’m sure this won’t surprise you at this point, yet another product of past Gainax experiences. Once again we’ll follow the careers of the creators involved to better understand their work here, plus we’ll highlight the behind the scenes production mechanisms that are rarely talked about. Fans of Shelter can’t miss this one!